Chapter 254: Roll-up

Words : 1226 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Chapter 254: Roll-up Nina, she’d like to think, was appropriately shocked. So many things had happened. And if Butler Henry—or, god forbid, their parents—were to hear of any of it, they’d probably be in even worse conditions than she was now. After all, the little princess was only six, so what did she really know? And what even truly mattered to her? Well, Fruit Roll-ups, apparently. Oh, and her big brother’s happiness, too. Still, the lingering echoes of the unimaginable were hard to shake. For the world around her was no longer the same. Figuratively and literally. Her big brother, the very embodiment of the word inaccessible, had willingly touched someone. He even ki—kissed someone! Nina’s brain was screeching, and even her mind was embarrassed at the thought of talking about kissing. The scene played on a loop in her mind, and like a cosmic disaster show for children, her mind was even bleeping the scenes with stickers. Not to mention knowing about their family secret! It wasn’t that no one was allowed to know, but it was usually on a strict need-to-know basis, like several people in the Military. Not even the school officials knew of his brother’s identity, and yet... Yet, this smiley person knew! Her thoughts made her dizzy. Yet, her young mind, as impressionable as it was, didn’t remain frozen for too long as something else quickly took over. A sudden and compelling aroma. The scent was so mouthwatering that it swirled around the cozy cabin. It was sweet and fruity, practically the only taste the princess could now taste and remember. Her little nose twitched. And as if seeing something in the air, Nina traced what looked like a glowing trail that led to its source. It was calling her. "What...what was that?" Her drifting soul had no choice but to be summoned back into her body. And just like that, her feet were moving before her mind could catch up. But on the other end of this enticing scent was someone who was panic-cooking. This time, it was an unconscious response. It was just that the presence of a frozen little princess made his hands move indistinctively. While he appeased himself by thinking that this was a necessary step and within his schedule, this one was clearly brought about by a bit (a lot) of stress. And so he tried getting into it. Xavier just watched with understanding. While he really wanted to step in, it was also important for Luca to learn how to navigate other people. And what better way to do it than to let him converse with one child who could likely handle it all? His sister looked like she was collapsing, and she probably was, but in terms of rate of acceptance, kindness, and otherworldly ideas, Nina probably resembled Luca the most. And he wanted both people to gain more confidence when dealing with new people. So, against all compulsion, Xavier just sat there, ever so watchful, as he observed his little wife darting between trays. The repeating sounds were soothing, especially when one knew that the ovens would likely not explode this time around. Also, he was not surprised that Luca turned to cooking as he probably correlated the positive effects of his food when faced with any situation. For the weapon worked wonders. Just like how it clearly affected their unexpected guest. Nina, with her wide eyes that practically reflected Xavier’s own, had snapped out of her reverie. And all it took was the scent of whatever was coming from that corner of the cabin. "Brother..." she whispered, a sudden tug of longing in her voice. "How is he doing that?" Asked the curious girl who tried to act as covertly as possible. Xavier’s lips curled into a smirk. "Why don’t you ask him?" Little Nina stiffened. Ask? Directly? But that meant...talking. To him. To the golden-eyed beauty. The skittish princess, who was usually the epitome of confidence, hesitated. Her small hands clutched at her dress as she tried to process her embarrassment. But her brother had spoken. And if his brother said it was okay, then it must be okay, right? "Okay." She knew she squeaked, but she had bigger problems to deal with than thinking about what her tutors would say. Summoning every ounce of bravery she had, Nina approached the small kitchen island. And Luca, who was mid-slice, blinked in surprise as the little girl cautiously stood beside him. "He—hello, Lord Yummy, I...I mean, hi." Nina’s words stumbled. But the scent that was now much closer was far too powerful to resist, causing her curiosity to mount further. "Could you please tell me about what that is?" She pointed at the trays before him, and although she was short, she could see when on her tippy toes. Luca tilted his head, his hair fluffing as he looked at the much shorter child. "These are called Fruit Roll-ups." He pointed at one that was actually closer to the final product. "Would you like to try one?" "!!!" The princess gasped as he held up a freshly sliced strip of vibrant pink, which shimmered under the light of the cabin. "This one is a watermelon roll-up," Luca explained gently. Watermelon. Nina had tasted the fruit and the drink before but had never heard of a fruit roll-up. And so she could only stare in wonder, uncertain of how to proceed. There were certainly so many things that one could be thinking about in such a situation, such as how they had the ingredients to make something like this or the knowledge to even do so. But the Princess was fixated on the more important part, like how to eat it, especially since there was paper attached to it. Luca noticed her confusion and volunteered the information by demonstrating. "Here, like this." His delicate fingers unrolled the neat spiral and, with practiced ease, took off about an inch of it. "And then you can decide how much you’d like to eat just like that." Nina mimicked him with careful determination, even trying to get it to the exact length she saw. And the moment the sweet and refreshing flavor hit her tongue— Rainbows. It was as magical as a rainbow suddenly manifesting. Her little feet even did a delighted wiggle. And Xavier chuckled as he watched his sister’s complete transformation. The sparkle in her eyes was undeniable. Then he thought that maybe they also looked like that to other people. However, this thought was shelved away when the little girl narrowed her eyes as she looked around the cabin like an inspector. Or a thief. But then she asked a question that Xavier didn’t exactly expect. "Excuse me, Lord Brother." Nina’s voice was suddenly reduced to a whisper, and while Luca and definitely Xavier could hear her, the suddenly taller cook couldn’t help but lean in closer. "Yes?" "You—are you by any chance, secretly a shafe-shifter?" Luca froze, visibly confused. "Huh? A what?" Then she leaned in closer, trying to be as covert as possible. "A shifter." For one, Luca was still not sure what this shifter was, and the child looked extremely hell-bent on asking about it. But Luca should’ve known, for by the dining table was one Prince whose shoulders had been shaking in both amusement and mortification.

Chapter 254: Roll-up

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